Centre accepts TMC’s demand for better utilisation of jute bags

Kolkata: The Union government has accepted the demand of Trinamool Congress (TMC) to promote the use of jute bags for the packaging of food grains with the Central Cabinet approving a new pricing methodology

for jute bags.

Trinamool Congress’ Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick, on June 24, soon after becoming a parliamentarian had written to Giriraj Singh, Union minister of Textiles, to take suitable measures for revival of the jute industry which in turn will contribute to containing the environmental hazards of plastic. Bhowmick in his letter pointed out that jute being a natural and biodegradable fibre is a good substitute for plastic that is choking water courses.

“More over jute industry does not emit any harmful gas in the environment,” the letter read. Jute bags worth Rs 12000 crores are purchased every year for packaging of food grains and sugar. The price of such bags is expected to go up at the rate of Rs 3000 per tonne when the new pricing methodology comes in place. “If the central government implements the new pricing methodology for jute bags in true sense it will be of great benefit to the jute industry. The jute workers as well as the farmers will have a stable and secure market,”

said Bhowmick.

The Indian Jute Mill Association, in a press statement, has stated that the new pricing methodology is expected to bring relief to 4 lakh odd workers employed in jute mills and 40 lakh farmer families involved in jute production. The Centre has further reaffirmed its commitment to purchasing jute bags for the compulsory packaging of 100 per cent food grains and 20 per cent of sugar. State Labour minister Moloy Ghatak in July had written to the Centre urging it to take appropriate measures so that the different state corporation agencies mandatorily use jute bags for packaging of food grains during the Kharif and Rabi seasons.

Presently, the price of one tonne of jute bag is around

Rs 95000. There are currently 113 odd jute mills across the state and 17 operating in Barrackpore parliamentary constituency alone.

Over the past three years, these 17 mills have received orders for 31.12 lakh bales of jute bags worth

Rs 10795.95 crore, according to a written communication to

Bhowmick by the union

minister of Textiles.